Ancient 17th Century French School Painting By Jan Baptist Herregouts

"Rebekah at the Well"

By Jan Baptist HERREGOUTS (Roermond 1635 - Bruges 1721)
- Oil painting on canvas
- Dimensions 128 X 119 cm

THE PAINTING IS SIGNED LOWER RIGHT Jan Baptist Herregouts was probably born in Roermond (or possibly Dendermonde) between 1635 and 1645 as the son of David Herregouts and Cecilia Genits or Geniets. His father was a painter from Mechelen who had moved to Roermond in 1646. Here David Herregouts had built a successful career as a painter thanks to the support of the local Catholic Church. Jan Baptist's mother was a daughter of a butcher family from Mechelen. Jan Baptist had three brothers who were painters: Hendrik Herregouts (Mechelen, 1633 – Antwerp, 1704) who had a traveling career as a painter including stays in Antwerp and Bruges, Willem Herregouts who emigrated to Amiens in France where he was known amongst others such as Guillaume Herregosse or Guillaume Hergosse and Maximilian Herregouts of whom not much is currently known except two works, one entitled Kitchen, in which a woman is intent on cooking pancakes (1674) and a second entitled Rebecca at the well. Jan Baptist probably first trained with his father and may have gone on a study trip to Italy. He then worked for several years in Antwerp, probably in his brother Hendrik's workshop. He became a member of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke between 18 September 1667 and 17 September 1677. He remained a member until 1682 when he moved to Bruges. Here perhaps he assisted his brother Hendrik with some of the errands he was completing in that city. In 1684 he lived in the house of the sculptor Norbert van den Eynde, son of Hubert van den Eynde. He became master of the Bruges Guild of St. Luke in 1684. He subsequently held various leadership positions in the guild. In 1717 he was one of four artists who helped establish a drawing academy in Bruges. Portrait of Laurentius van de Velde, head of the Guild of St. George in Bruges Jan Baptist became a successful history and portrait painter. He married Anna-Pieternelle Timmermans. The couple had two children: Marie-Anne Herregouts (1685-1749) and Jan Baptist Herregouts (1688-1717). Jan Baptist or his wife probably ran a brewery in Bruges. He died in Bruges where he was buried in the church of San Giacomo. REBECCA (Hebrew: רִבְקָה Rivqah) is a biblical character. She is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. Her story is told in the book of Genesis. When his wife Sarah dies, Abraham does his utmost to find a wife for his son Isaac. He will entrust this task to a servant of his, Eliezer, who arrives near a well located in the city of Arran and where he meets a young woman named Rebecca, who turns out to be the daughter of Abraham's brother. She will later introduce him to her family and to her brother Laban. She finally chooses to follow her servant and marry her cousin Isaac. For a long period of time Rebecca remains without heirs, but later she gives birth to twins. Her pregnancy will be difficult as the twins she is carrying turn against each other, a premonitory sign of the discord that will arise between them and between the nations that will descend from them (cf. Genesis 25:21- 23). From Rebecca are born Esau, firstborn, and Jacob (see Genesis 25:24-26). Later Rebecca helps her favorite son Jacob to usurp (with full right because Esau on one occasion sold his birthright for the price of lentil soup (cf. Genesis 25 [4])) from his father Isaac the blessing reserved for the firstborn and that it should have been his brother Esau (cf. Genesis 27[5]). Upon her death Rebecca is buried alongside her husband in the Tomb of the Patriarchs at Hebron. In the Talmud, Rebecca is considered the progenitor of the Jewish people (through Jacob) and of the Roman people (through Esau): her two sons collide and fight in her womb, foreshadowing the future enmity that will divide the two peoples.